Method and double stocking blank for manufacturing stockings



Jan. 2, 1934. J GETAZ 1,942,331

METHOD AND DOUBLE STOCKING BLANK FOR MANUFACTURING STOCKINGS Filed Feb. 25, 1931 INVENTOR JAMES L. GETAZ j 3 his aZZorney-s' Patented Jan. 2, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD AND DOUBLE STOCKING BLANK FOR MANUFACTURING STOCKINGS This invention relates to the knitting of hosiery and more particularly to the knitting of hosiery on seamless knitting machines and it is an object of this invention to provide a method by which stockings having all the advantages of full fashioned stockings can be knit on circular knitting machines. It is also an object of this invention to provide a method by which a blank from which two fashioned stockings can be obtained can be knit on a circular knitting machine. It is also an object of this invention to provide a blank knit on a circular knitting machine in which the legpcrtions of two stockings are knit side by side and the toe of one stocking is arranged toward the top of the other stocking.

In the drawing- Figure 1 is a plan view of the blank showing the arrangement of the two stockings therein and showing in dotted lines the formed stocking feet.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view showing the relative positions of the needle segments used in forming the toe pockets'and heel tabs at opposite sides of the blank tube.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view drawn to a larger scale in the region of a heel;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view drawn to a larger scale in the region of a toe; and Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66 of Figure 5.

In the drawing the blank is shown as comprising a knitted tube for forming two oppositely arranged stockings A and A having the welts or tops W, W,-the leg portions B, B which are joined together along the lines 0 on opposite sides of the tube and the feet D, D which comprise the insteps 2, 2 separated from the legs of. the other stockings on each side by sole portions 4, 4 which may be reinforced. Toe pockets 6, 6., high splice heel portions 8, 8 and heel portions or heel tabs 12, 12' are also provided. In place of forming the heel portions. or heel tabs and toe pockets as folds attached to the tube as the blank is formed the heel and toe portions can be formed on a separate machine and attached in the usual way after the stockings have been separated.

In the manufacture of the blank a seamless knitting machine of rather large diameter, of from 5" to 6", is employed to produce a tubular blank from which two stockings can be made from each length or blank, each blank being shorter than the combined length of two stockings. The maximum width of the tube is available for extra wide ends of the welt. As shown in the drawing, the toe of each stocking is adjacent the" welt of the other stocking but it is to be understood this invention is not to be limited to the relative positions shown as the blank maybe lengthened and the stocking feet brought 6O closer together, the relative positions of the two stockings in the blank being otherwise as shown.

In manufacturing the blanks, assuming the machine used is a circular knitting machine of Wen known pe as a Scott & Williams circuchine but it will be noted that the welts at each end of the blank will be made in the same manner. It will also be noted that in this fashioned stocking no matter how the welt is made, the welt will be cut on a'bias from the maximum width of the fabric at the point where the welt is folded over to approximately two thirds the width of the fabric atthe point where the welt W joins the leg B so as to bring the welt to the proper size and taper. While the triangular piece 10' thus left over is eventually discarded, it is useful in the knitting of the blank in starting the knitting of the toe pocket 6 as a substitute for loopers rounds. All the needles of that portion of the circumference which are used for the leg portion B of the stocking A whose welt hasthus been made, are then thrown out of action and with them half of the remaining needles which are to be used on the foot D of the other stocking A. The needles which are to be used for the foot portion B which are put out at this point are the needles to be used in forming the sole portions 4'. With the remaini'ng needles a seamless toe pocket 6', that is, a narrowed and widened toe, is knit in the usual way with the portion 10' of the top W serving in place of the usual looping or starting courses. The toe is afterwards completed or closed in the usual manner. After the toe pocket 6" has been knit the segments of needles for knitting the sole portions 4 at each end of the toe pocket segment are thrown back into action and with them isthrown the segment of needles for the leg B of the stocking A. The knitting then proceeds in a round and round manner and where the sole portions 4 are to be reinforced,

tube, uniting opposite sides of the tube to form two stockings and separating the stockings.

8. In the method of manufacturing stockings the successive steps which comprise knitting a welt, knitting a toe pocket, simultaneously knitting a leg portion, two reinforced sole portions and an instep portion, knitting a heel portion, knitting two leg portions and then carrying out the previous operations in the reverse order.

9. In the method of manufacturing stockings the successive steps which comprise knitting a welt, knitting a toe pocket, simultaneously knitting a leg portion, two sole portions and an instep portion, knitting a heel portion, knitting two leg portions simultaneously and then carrying out the previous operations in the reverse order.

10. In the method of manufacturing a stocking, the successive steps which comprise knitting a welt, knitting a toe pocket adjacent the welt, simultaneously knitting a leg portion, two sole portions and an instep portion joined to the welt and toe pocket, knitting a heel portion joined to the sole portion, knitting two leg portions simultaneously and then carrying out the previous operations in the reverse order.

11. In the method of manufacturing stockings, the steps on a circular knitting machine which comprise knitting a welt on all the needles, knitting a toe pocket on a segment of the needles, knitting a stocking leg portion, two reinforced sole portions and an instep portion on all the needles, knitting a heel portion on a segment of the needles, knitting two leg portions upon all the needles and then carrying out the previous operations in the reverse order.

12. In the method of manufacturing stockings, the steps of forming a blank on a circular knitting machine comprising knitting a welt on all the needles, knitting a toe pocket on a segment of the needles while the rest are inactive, knitting a stocking leg portion, two sole portions and an instep portion on all the needles, knitting a heel portion on a segment of the needles while the remaining needles are inactive, knitting two leg portions upon all the needles and completing the blank by carrying out the previous operations in the reverse order.

13. In the method of manufacturing stockings the steps of forming a blank on a circular knitting machine, comprising knitting a welt on all the needles by round and round knitting, knitting a toe pocket on a segment of the needles by reciprocating knitting while the remainder of the needles are inactive, knitting a stocking leg portion, two reinforced sole portions and an instep portion by round and. round knitting on all the needles, knitting a heel portion on a segment of the needles by reciprocating knitting while the remainder of the needles are inactive, knitting two leg portions on all the needles by round and round knitting and completing the blank by carrying out the previous operations in the reverse order.

14. In the method of manufacturing stockings the steps which comprise knitting by rotary knitting a tube of sufiicient diameter to form the legs and portions of the feet of two oppositely disposed stockings placed side by side and knitting by reciprocating knitting oppositely disposed heel and toe portions as folds attached to the tube.

15. In the method of manufacturing stockings, the steps on a circular knitting machine which comprise knitting a welt on all the needles, knitting-a toe pocket on a segment of the needles while the rest are inactive, knitting a stocking leg portion, two sole portions and an instep portion on all needles, knitting spaced heel portions on spaced segments of the needles, knitting two leg portions and a high splice portion on all the needles, knitting two leg portions on all the needles and then carrying out the previous operations in the reverse order.

16. In the method of manufacturing stockings, the steps which comprise knitting a tube of sufiicient diameter for two stockings placed side by side with the foot of one stocking adjacent the leg of the other stockings and having heel and toe portions joined to' said tube, uniting the opposite sides of the tube along a substantially diagonal line passing adjacent the heels to form two stockings and separating the stockings and completing the joining of the heel and toe with the foot portions.

17. In the method of manufacturing stockings the steps which comprise knitting a tube of sufficient diameter for two stockings, knitting toe and heel portions as folds attached adjacent the ends of the tube and projecting from the body of the tube, uniting opposite sides of the tube along a substantially diagonal line passing adjacent the heels to form the legs of two stockings, separating the stockings and completing the joining of the toe and heel portions to the body of the stocking.

JAMES L. GETAZ.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,942,331. January 2, 1934..

JAMES L. GETAZ.

It is hereby certified that errer appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as-ioilows: Page 1, line 62, after the wort? "siewn" and befere the period insert the words with the foot of one stocking adiaeerit the leg portion of the other; page 2, line 22, after "toe" insert into the leg portion B of the stocking A; line 32, strike out the artieie .iirst oecurranee, and tines 32 and 33, strike out the words "the reintereizrg 311m" and insert instead the word it; and that the said Letters iziterit shoeie iie read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the reeerd of the ease in the iatent ()ffice.

Sigeett etzi eeeieti this 6th day of February, A. D. 1934,

1*. M. Hopkins (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

